Microsoft CEO Heading to China as Antitrust Investigation Heats Up

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is traveling to China in September, though it’s unclear if the trip is related to antitrust concerns leveraged against Microsoft by Chinese authorities. A company spokesperson told Reuters that the trip was planned before the latest investigations began, but wouldn’t say whether or not Nadella will make time to meet with government officials in an effort to resolve the issue.

Chinese officials raided Microsoft’s offices in July over alleged antitrust concerns. It wasn’t the first time Microsoft has had run-ins with government officials there. China’s government was one of the last holdouts to approve Microsoft’s plans to acquire Nokia’s device business, and plans to downsize at a Beijing factory didn’t go over very well either. The Chinese government has also banned Windows 8 from all state computers, citing security concerns with the operating system.

It’s possible Nadella’s planned trip to China next month will focus entirely on improving sales. Reuters notes that former Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer visited the country several times, though the trips did little to raise profits in a market where most of its software is reportedly pirated rather than purchased. Microsoft will have to clear up these recent antitrust issues if it wants to make inroads in China, whether Nadella meets with officials in September or not.